Green School in Bali
Green School in Bali
Green School in Bali
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RIVING NORTH FROM Bali’s chaotic capital city JDUQHUHGDWWHQWLRQDQGDFFODLPIURPDOORYHUWKHZRUOG
of Denpasar on one of the main roads heading north IRULWVSLRQHHULQJHIIRUWVWRLQWHUZHDYHDFDGHPLFOHDUQLQJ
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WKDWOLHVDKHDG2QHVWLOOJOLPSVHVULFH¿HOGVDQG+LQGXWHPSOHV recently named “Greenest School on Earth” by the U.S.
EXWWKH%DOLRIROGLVLQFUHDVLQJO\JLYLQJZD\WRPRWRUF\FOH Green Building Council, the organization that provides
dealerships, internet shops and garishly lit 24-hour mini- /(('FHUWL¿FDWLRQIRUHQYLURQPHQWDOO\IULHQGO\EXLOGLQJV
PDUWVWKDWKDYHUHSODFHGWUDGLWLRQDOIDPLO\RZQHGwarung. Green School boasts one of the most beautiful campuses
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DWXUQGRZQDPHWHUEXPS\UXWWHGURDGDQRWKHUVLGH out of the jungle, surrounded by lush organic gardens and
RIWKH,VODQGRIWKH*RGVFRPHVLQWRYLHZ6WDQGLQJLQWKH bisected by the Ayung River. Green School serves an inter-
parking area overlooking the pristine Ayung River valley, the national population of 270 students from 55 countries in
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covered bamboo bridge, built in a style reminiscent of the 6 and up. The school also supports a scholarship program
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WRZDUGVWKHVN\OLNHWKHSURZRIDVKLS7RSDUDSKUDVH³7KH to afford the fees;; these currently represent about 10% of the
:L]DUGRI2]´'RURWK\ZH¶UHQRWLQ.XWDDQ\PRUH« population although through a fund-raising program Green
Welcome to Green School Bali, one of the most unique 6FKRROKRSHVWRUDLVHWKLV¿JXUHWR
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hen a picture of an open air school such as ours is students’ 4 key intelligences: interpersonal, intrapersonal,
VKRZQWRSHRSOHPRVWGRQ¶WUHDOL]HWKDWWKHJUHDW- intelligence, and kinesthetic. All our themes pertain to the
est environmental impact on the students occurs QDWXUDOZRUOGDQGRXUUHODWLRQWRLW$VWKH*UHHQ6WXGLHV
LQWKHVSDFHEHWZHHQWKHEXLOGLQJV,WLVLQWKHVHMXQJOH teacher, one of my favorite themes to teach is about coconuts.
spaces that Green Studies is commonly taught. A mix of It is said that Indonesian islands are all dependent on the
environmental science, sustainability studies, and agricul- BBC. No, not the media outlet, but bamboo, bananas, and
ture, Green Studies are an important part of Green School. coconut. These three plants can provide food, shelter, and
But they are not the only distinguishing factor for this bam- ZDWHUZLWKHDVHWRWKRVHOLYLQJLQWKHWURSLFV)RUH[DPSOH
boo-based learning center. the coconut has dozens of practical and ritualistic applica-
In 2012, Green School adopted a concept called the 3 WLRQVDFURVV,QGRQHVLD7KHZDWHURID\RXQJFRFRQXWLVWKH
frame day. This form of teaching marries holistic learning FORVHVWQDWXUDOVXEVWDQFHWREORRGSODVPDWKHWURSLFDOZRUOG
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is the most unique: the thematic lesson. Then, in the heart its shores.
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Mathematics, English, and Languages. Each day generally as nuts. Planning this unit took much foresight and discus-
FRQFOXGHVZLWKH[SHULHQWLDOOHDUQLQJZKHWKHUSODQWLQJJDU- VLRQZLWKP\SHHUV:LWKRQO\FODVVHVWRKHOSVWXGHQWV
GHQVFUHDWLQJDUWZRUNRUZRUNLQJRQHQWHUSULVHSURMHFWV learn as much about these fruits as possible, I thought of
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